Quinoa Salad Part II

In the summer, my favourite salad is the Quinoa Salad. During these winter days, I wanted to try something different with this salad. Sauteing the vegetables first, and keeping the quinoa warm when serving allows for a great winter salad. Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked quinoa

2 cups of water

1 medium sweet or white onion, chopped

1 & 1/2 cups of bell peppers (red, green, yellow), diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 & 1/2 cups of crumbled feta

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 cup of chopped cilantro

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:Step 1: Add the quinoa and water to a pot. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa absorb all the water. This may take roughly 20 minutes.

Step 2: While the quinoa is cooking, in a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add your chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is starting to look cooked and clear. Add all of the chopped bell peppers. Mix and saute for 3 minutes.

Step 3: Add the clove of garlic, mix around and saute for another minute. Take the frying pan off the heat.

Step 4: Zest the lemon into the cooked, warm quinoa. Juice the lemon into a measuring cup. Add the same amount of olive oil to the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and whisk together until well incorporated.

Step 5: Add the cooked vegetables to the quinoa and pour over the lemon and oil mixture. Mix to combine.